© K. Urtz 2013
Australia II - the winner of the America’s Cup 1983
1983
AMERICA’S CUP HISTORY 1983 - 2013
Deutsch Home AC 1983 AC1987 AC 1988 AC 1992 AC 1995 Bibliography Impressum/Contact Opponents AC 2000 AC 2003 AC 2007 AC 2010 AC 2013 About Links Yacht / Country : Australia II / Aus Sail Number : 12 KA 6 Syndicate :  America’s Cup Challenge ‘83 CEO :         Allen Bond Yacht Club: Royal Perth Yacht Club Designer :   Ben Lexcen - former    name          Bob Miller Boat Builder :  Steve E. Ward & Co 1982 Skipper:     John Bertrand
The boat was designed by Ben Lexcen, a real individual of designers at that time.
The first time in history the AC was lost by the New York Yacht Club to a challenger. After 132 years the trophy moved to the Australian banker Allen Bond. The secret of his 12-m yacht was a keel as appendage with a wing of lead. This construction moved the point of gravity down and improved her stability in sailing and tackling. The boat was designed by Ben Lexcen, a real individual of designers at that time. His former name was Bob Miller  which one day he did not want any more. Rumours say that he changed his name after making sure with Reader’s Digest that a Lexcen was not in their customer list. As the Australians had no testing tanks in the country they got the approval to use the facilities of the Netherlands Ship Model Basin in Wageningen with their key technician Dr. P. van Oossanen.  Then the controversy started, because the competitors, as the NYYC claimed that the boat and the keel have been  designed by the Dutch institute and not by Lexcen. That fringes the Deed of Gift. All this dispute with many actions from the defenders to eliminate Australia II was called “Keelgate” in consequence of president Nixon’s Watergate.